Start-stop distributor ring



Dec. 23, 1958 w p BYRNEs 2,865,995

START-STOP DISTRIBUTOR RING INVENTOR TTORN'EY Filed Oct. 24. 1956 WILLIAM P. BYRNES Z07 f 2,865,995 START-STOP DISTRIBUTUR RING William P. Byrnes, Glenview, liL, assignor to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, Iil., a corporation of Delaware Application October 24, 1956, Serial No. 617,976 10 Claims. (Cl. 178-52) This invention relates to printing telegraph apparatus and more particularly to an improved signal distributor in equipment for sending and receiving printing telegraph messages.

The segmental ring distributor is well known in the art of printing telegraphy. The individual segments of the ring are energized in accordance with the signal units received to translate each signal unit to a signal are. The signal is picked up from the signal are by a brush arm which is rotated at a constant speed to traverse the ring contacts to pick up a signal corresponding to the length of the segments in duration and of a potential determined by the potential on the segment. The brush is connected to the line and transmits the marking and spacing signal out over the line.

While diiferent types of printing telegraph systems may be designed to operate on a signal unit of different durations, it is desirable that the sending apparatus send a signal of the type that the receiving apparatus is adapted to receive.

One of such codes is the 7.0 start-stop code which consists of seven equal units representing the start signal, the stop signal, and the five intelligence code signals. Another such code is the 7.42 unit code which employs a longer stop signal and has six additional signal units of equal length. The figures used herein have been chosen as examples because they represent two of the most common figures in use at this time. The figures are, however, empirical and almostaany combination of signal lengths is feasible, hence this invention should not be limited to the illustrations used herein.

'An object of this invention is to provide a universal transmitting distributor for selectively transmitting telegraph code units of varying length.

Another object of this invention is to provide a segmental distributor ring which is adapted to be switched from one length signal unit to another length signal unit by a simple control element.

These and other objects will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description when it is read in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view representing the mechanical elements ofa distributor mechanism in a printing tele graph transmitter and connections to the distributor ring; and

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a segmental transmitter ring embodying this invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a segmental distributor ring assembly 11 is suitably fastened to the frame (not shown). Seven major segments 1218 and six minor segments 1924 comprise the outer ring 25. The inner ring 26 of the illustrated embodiment is connected to the line and transmits the signal picked up by a brush 27 on v the outer ring 25 to the line. The pick-up brush 27 is suitably mounted on a shaft 28 which is adapted to be selectively rotated by any suitable means suchas the gears 29 and 31. The motivation rates PatentO ment for 7.42 code transmission.

through the main shaft of the operating unit.

A signal-controlled latching assembly, such as that exemplified by the combination comprising a magnet 33, an armature latch 34 and a blocking cam 36, is provided to permit one revolution of the brush arm 27 for each permutation of signals to be transmitted.

Each of the above-mentioned major segments is connected to a conductor 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50 or 52, which is in turn connected to the associated selector contact in the transmitter as diagrammatically represented in Fig. 1. The minor segments 19-24 are connected, through their associated conductors 41, 43, 45, 47, 49 and 51, to the transfer contacts 53.

The transfer contacts 53 are mechanically fastened together so that they may be positioned in either their upper or lower position (Fig. 1).

It will be noted that moving the transfer contacts 53 to their upper position electrically connects each minor segment with its adjacent major segment in a counterclockwise direction, and conversely that when the transfer contacts are moved to their lower position each minor segment is electrically connected to its adjacent major segment in a clockwise direction. g

Referring now to Fig. 2, the ring 25 is divided into thirteen segments. The conventional distributor ring for the transmission of a five unit code is comprised of seven segments. One of the segments is a start segment, a stop segment and 5 intelligence segments. In the two systems used to exemplify this invention, the apparatus is equipped to transmit either on a 7.0 start-stop code or a 7.42 start-stop code. As is well known in the art, the difference is that the 7.0 code has seven signal units of equal length while the 7.42 code has six units of equal length and one unit, the stop segment, which is 1.42 times the length of the other segments.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 the major segment 18 is an arcuate segment which is 51.4 degrees of the segmented ring 25. The segment 18 is representative of the stop se ment of the distributor ring when the 7.0-unit code is to be transmitted. The major segment 12 and the minor segment 19 are complementary to form a start signal are segmentof 51.4 degrees. ments 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are complementary to the minor segments 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24, respectively, to form arcuate signal are se ments each of 51.4.

When the transfer contacts 53 are moved to their upper position by any suitable means, such as a manuallyoperated lever 54, each minor segment is electrically conis rotated, seven equal signals are thus picked up and transmitted to the line through the inner ring 26.

The minor segment 24 is .42 times as large as the major segment 18, hence may be added electrically thereto to form a' stop signal are of 1.42, its length for 7.42 start-stop code transmission. The major segment 12 is an arc of 48.6 degrees and becomes the start seg- The major segments 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are complementary with the minor segments 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23, respectively, to make five additional arcs of 48.6 degrees.

When it is desired to operate the unit on the 7.42 start-stop code, the transfer contacts 53 are moved to their lower positions by the lever 54 to connect each of Similarly, the major segthe conductors 51 and 52 to be impressed upon the major segment 12 and its complement 19 to form a signal having a length determined by a 51.4 degree arc of the ring 25. Similarly, the intelligence signals are sent from the tape reader through the conductors 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 to be impressed on the major segments 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, respectively, and their corresponding complementary minor segments 20-24; The stop signal is impressed upon the major segment 18 which is an arc of 51.4 degrees to thereby impress seven signals of equal length on the distributor ring 25. The brush arm 27 is then rotated by the motor 32 and the seven signals are transmitted through the ring 26, to the line.

When it is desired to change from 7.0 transmission to 7.42 transmission, the transfer contacts 53 are moved to their lower positions by the lever 54. The start signal is transmitted through the conductors 61 and 52 to the major segment 12 which is an arc equal to 48.6 degrees of the segmental ring 25. The intelligence signals are transmitted through the conductors 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 to be impressed upon the major segments 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, respectively, and their corresponding complementary minor segments in a counterclockwise direction to form six arcs each equal to 48.6 degrees of the segmented ring 25. The remaining segments of the segmented ring, major are 18 and minor are 24, are electrically connected to form a stop signal are of 68.3 degrees which is approximately 1.42 times the length of the other six signal arcs. The signal is then transmitted to the line as set forth above.

When changing from one start-stop code to another, it is often desirable to maintain the intelligence signal units at the same length. This can be done without alteration of the equipment by incorporating a two speed governor, the switches for which may be included in the transfer contacts 53, so that in selecting a given set of segments, a compatible speed is also selected for the motor 32.

While this invention has been described in a specific embodiment, it is of course understood that numerous changes may be made in the described apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A distributor ring for distributing impulses in telegraph code signal combinations having difierent durations of their component signal elements, which comprises a plurality of major and minor arcuate segments of conductive material and of different lengths, means for allocating each major segment to a particular one of the impulses in each of the telegraph code signal combinations, and switching means for selectively connecting each of the minor segments to difierent ones of the major segments in accordance with the elemental durations of the signal combinations to be distributed.

2. A signal distributor which comprises a segmented ring having a plurality of segments of different lengths, and means for selectively connecting together first predetermined combinations of segments such that the connected segments are apportioned equally in the ring and for alternatively connecting together second predetermined combinations of segments such that the connected segments are apportioned unequally in the ring.

3. A signal distributor for distributing telegraph signals including start, intelligence and stop impulses, which comprises a segmented ring having a plurality of segments of different lengths, and switching means for selectively connecting together first predetermined combinations of segments such that the connected segments distribute all signal impulses for equal durations and for alternatively connecting together second predetermined combinations of segments such that the connected segments distribute start and intelligence impulses for equal durations and a stop impulse for an unequal duration with respect to the start and intelligence impulses associated therewith.

4. Apparatus for distributing start-stop telegraph signals having either of two stop elemental durations relative to other elemental durations in the signals, which comprises a distributor ring formed of a plurality of segments of different lengths, means for allocating each segment of a predetermined group of the segments to a corresponding one of the elements in each of the telegraph signals, one of the segments of another group of segments being positioned between each pair of segments of the predetermined group except one such pair, switching means connected to each of the segments of said other group of segments and arranged to connect such segment selectively with the segment of the predetermined group on either side thereof, and means for operating the switching means in accordance with the relationship of the stop elemental dura ion to the other elemental durations in the signal to be distributed.

5. Apparatus for distributing start, intelligence and stop impulses in telegraph signals, which comprises a circular segmented ring having a plurality of major and minor segments of diiferent lengths, one of the major segments allocated to a particular one of the impulses in each of the signals, a plurality of minor segments of different lengths, one of the minor segments positioned between each pair of major segments except those associated with the start and stop impulses, switching means operable for connecting each major segment except that allocated to the start impulse to the adjacent minor segent on one side thereof when a code of a first kind is to be distributed and for connecting each major segment except that allocated to the stop impulse to the adjacent minor segment on the other side thereof when a code of a second kind is to be distributed, and means for selectively operating the switching means in accordance with the kind of code to be distributed.

6. A universal distributor for distributing telegraph signals having different durations of signal elements but wherein each signal includes first and second control impulses and a plurality of intelligence impulses, which comprises a segmented distributor ring formed of two groups of segments wherein each of the segments in a first group is positioned progressively around the ring and is associ ated with a corresponding one of the impulses in all signals to be distributed and wherein each of the segments in the second group is positioned progressively between successive segments in the first group except the first group segments associated with the control impulses in the signals, switching means operable for connecting each segment in the first group except that associated with one of the control impulses to the second-group segment which is adjacent thereto in a clockwise direction and for connecting each segment in the first group except that associated with the second control impulse to the second group segment which is adjacent thereto in a counterclockwise direction, and means for operating the switching means in accordance with the element duration of the signal to be distributed.

7. Apparatus for distributing telegraph signals having different durations of signal elements but wherein each signal includes a start, a plurality of intelligance and a stop element, which comprises a distributor ring formed of a plurality of major and a plurality of minor segments of different lengths, means for allocating each major segment to a corresponding one of the elements in each of the telegraph signals, the major segments positioned around the ring in progressively decreasing lengths and the minor segments positioned therearound in progressively increasing lengths with one minor segment between each pair of adjacent major segments except those associated with the start and the stop elements, switching means for connecting each major segment except that associated with the stop element to the minor segment adjacent there'- to in one direction around the ring during the distribution of a signal having equal durations of signal elements and for connecting each major segment except that associated r 5 with the start element to the minor segment adjacent thereto in the opposite direction around the ring during the distribution of a signal having a stop element of longer duration than the remaining elements, and means for selectively operating the switching means in accordance with the signal to be distributed.

8. In a telegraph distributor, a ring of segments comprising major electrically conductive elements and minor electrically conductive elements interspersed among the major elements, and switching mean conditionable in one manner to interconnect all of said minor elements with certain of said major elements to establish discrete electrical subdivisions of said ring subtending equal angles, and conditionable in another manner to interconnect all of said minor elements and certain of said major elements to establish discrete electrical subdivisions of said ring References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,416,723 Watson 7 Mar. 4, 1947 

